Israeli Official Rules Out State For Palestinians Within 2 Years

By DINA KRAFT

Published: June 30, 2010

TEL AVIV -- In remarks that could further strain peace efforts, Israel's foreign minister said Tuesday that there was no chance that a Palestinian state would be established in the next two years.

''I'm an optimistic person, but there is absolutely no chance of reaching a Palestinian state by 2012,'' said the minister, Avigdor Lieberman. ''One can dream and imagine, but we are far from reaching understandings and an agreement.''

Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, in a grouping called the quartet, have called for a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians by 2012. George J. Mitchell, President Obama's special representative to the region, was to arrive in Israel later on Tuesday.

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, responded indirectly to Mr. Lieberman from the West Bank town of Ramallah, saying that he believed in the peace process and that he hoped that a deal would emerge as soon as possible.

''We will make every effort to reach a solution, because time is not on anyone's side,'' he said during a news conference with Mr. Lavrov. ''Achieving peace is in the best interest of Israel, the Palestinians and the whole world.''

Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, has repeatedly said his goal is to set up the institutional foundations of a state by the end of next year.

Currently, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, represented by the Western-backed Fatah movement, are not even negotiating face to face, but are holding indirect, American-brokered talks.

Hamas, the Islamic militant organization that controls Gaza and does not recognize Israel, is not involved in the negotiations.

Mr. Lavrov defended his country's decision as the only member of the quartet to keep open ties with Hamas. He said Russia was trying to persuade Hamas to abandon its armed struggle.

Mr. Lavrov also made comments to Itar-Tass, the Russian news agency, in which he called for a meeting of Russia, the United States, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss the delivery of nuclear fuel for an Iranian medical reactor.

The Iranians, who maintain that their nuclear program is for civilian and not military purposes, had hoped to fend off the most recent round of international sanctions by agreeing to ship some of their low-enriched uranium abroad in exchange for fuel that could be used to power the medical reactor.

''He is trying to reduce the chance of war, trying to dampen voices of those in Israel who believe in military action against Iran if sanctions fail,'' said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born Middle East analyst, of Mr. Lavrov calling for such a meeting while in Jerusalem.

Israel has hinted that it would carry out a strike against Iran if diplomatic efforts failed and the Iranians seemed close to developing nuclear weapons.